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White House artists form Arts Initiative

Deborah Fast works on her painting at Studio 76 in White House on Friday, May 30, 2014.
(Photo:
Nicole Young/Robertson County Times
)

For the past year, White House businesswoman Charlotte Nash Byrdfeather has dreamed of an organization that would promote artists of every kind in White House and beyond.

Now, that dream is coming to fruition.

Byrdfeather, a painter, potter and the owner of White House’s Studio 76, is spearheading the White House CIA - short for Community Initiative for the Arts - with one of her students, painter E.J. Jones.

The group held its first meeting early last month and is now planning to elect a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and sergeant at arms during an organizational meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on June 9 in the auditorium at White House City Hall. It will also form subcommittees that will focus on specific art forms, such as dance, theater, folk art, writing, music, visual arts and more.

“We intend to do festivals, events and scholarships for schools down the road not only for White House, but also Portland, Cross Plains, Orlinda and Cottontown,” Byrdfeather said. “Anyone who feels like they are part of the White House community will be able to participate and benefit from it.”

Byrdfeather started discussing her plans for the initiative with White House city officials about a year ago, she said. Jones joined the effort about three months ago, she added.

While the city is in no way involved in the formation of the group, they are very supportive of it, according to Mayor Mike Arnold.

“It’s important that we have an outlet for the Arts here,” he said. “We plan to display work from our local artists in our city buildings as a way to promote this initiative. There are a lot of talented people who live here.”

The first artwork installation in City Hall was planned for Monday, June 2, Byrdfeather said. Pieces selected for display will be for sale and will hang in City Hall for about 45-60 days before new artwork is installed, she said.

The public arts display is just one facet of the initiative. About 40 people attended the group’s first public meeting and presented ideas for the future.

Jones, an affiliate broker and office manager with Jim Brinkley Realtors in White House, said the group is currently pursuing a non-profit status and hopes to be able to award scholarships to high school seniors planning to pursue art-related majors in college by the end of the next school year.

A life-long resident of the White House area, Jones began taking painting lessons from Byrdfeather at Studio 76 about a year-and-a-half ago and quickly realized that there weren’t as many opportunities for visual and performing artists in White House as there were for sports, she said.

“Having something like this just adds to the community,” Jones said. “It will be an enticement for businesses and industries that are looking to locate here. They want a community that offers a variety of things for their employees. They want art and other venues besides sports. It just enhances the community.”

In the future, Jones said she and Byrdfeather hope to obtain grant money so they can put together special events, like workshops and showcases.

At her studio, Byrdfeather teaches Native American Pottery, drawing and painting in oil, watercolor, acrylics, gouche and mixed media to about 40 students ranging in age from 5-years-old to 88-years-old, she said.

Deborah Fast, 56, has been a student there for about three years. The Sumner County resident lives about a mile from White House in the Millersville area.

“Music is my first love,” she said. “And I think the CIA is such a great thing because you can love everything. It’s a good way to get people to come together from all venues and there are many of us who have multiple talents.

“It’s a great platform for all of us and it’s a great platform for the city itself.”

Danette Ayers, 53, of the Cross Plains area, said she was most excited about being able to get her paintings out in the public eye. During her 30 years as a painter, Ayers has produced more than 50 pieces. One of her paintings will hang in White House City Hall during the first art installation, according to Byrdfeather.